Eli Drinkwitz explains how Mizzou is preparing for Mississippi State’s cowbells during Week 4
By Sydney Hunte
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Eli Drinkwitz led Mizzou to a 39-20 win over Mississippi State during the Tigers’ last trip to Starkville in 2024. One player they’ll have to contend with on Saturday who wasn’t there that year?
But there’s one ever-present factor at Davis Wade Stadium: the cowbells. Lots of them. And if Week 4 sounds louder than usual, it’s because Bulldogs fans will be attempting the Guinness World Record for most cowbells on Saturday when the Tigers come to town.
While Mississippi State fans will relish the possibility of breaking a world record and their team improving to 4-0, Eli Drinkwitz and his staff are doing their part to make sure Mizzou is ready.
“We’ve got about 30 cowbells that our equipment managers and myself and the rest of the staff ring during practice, and then we’ve got the simulated cowbell with Will Ferrell saying more cowbell from Saturday Night Live,” Drinkwitz told KMOV-TV’s Grace Ybarra on Tuesday.
At the end of the day, it might just be a matter of the Tigers tuning out the cowbells as best they can, Drinkwitz added.
“That’s really all that we can focus on is between the white lines,” he said. “It’s still going to be 11 on 11, and those cowbells only affect you if you let them affect you. We’ve got to have clear and concise communication. We’ve got to make sure we’re repping that all week.”
Kickoff from Starkville is set for 7:45 p.m. ET.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
